


The Jerk is My Crush

by NoGoodTuna



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 2nd years, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Angst and Romance, Angst with a Happy Ending, Confessions, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 15:59:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17748956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoGoodTuna/pseuds/NoGoodTuna
Summary: While Hinata has conquered his greatest foes in volleyball, he's been unable to do anything against the greatest foe in his love life, the jerk of a crush, Tsukishima Kei! After trying so hard to confess him, his overwhelming anxiety gets the best of him, making him fail so gloriously bad that Yamaguchi has no choice but to help him out.





	The Jerk is My Crush

The moment Hinata Shouyou realized he had a crush on Tsukishima Kei, he knew he was weird.  How he could have a crush on someone who was basically one big ole jerk confused him. What should have left him seething in anger instead left him charmed with affection.  The way he said his name, often laced with annoyance, and impatience, and aggravation, made his heart do flips. The way his eyes, often filled with irritation and exasperation whenever they were focused on him, like he was a nuisance, often made him giggle with delight.

Losing himself in the moment whenever Tsukishima was beside him was a common occurrence that his friends and teammates accepted. It wasn’t a surprise to see Hinata stumbling clumsily, tripping over his feet, whenever Tsukishima teased him when they walked through the halls.

Volleyball practice was no exception. Hinata constantly and consistently fell to pieces whenever he happened to get near Tsukishima. And dont let Tsukishima call his name. The boy let every ball through as he was thrown out of whack, stunned with love, whenever Tsukishima called his name to jump in time with him for a block. The worst though always happened whenever Hinata was midair and Tsukishima happened to send the ball his way as he looked at him while setting. It was like Hinata's mind became filled with only Tsukishima's gorgeous face and eyes that looked even more amazing through his sports goggles. As he focused on Hinata, as if he was entrusting him with the keys of the world, Hinata got lost in the moment as it was one of the few times that Tsukishima didn't look at him as if he were a bug. He loved that look and wanted to stare at it, memorize it, so he could recall it whenever he wanted. Thoughts of volleyball forgotten, Hinata sadly ended up either hitting and tangling himself in the net, or slamming face first into one of the many poles. Poor Hinata Shouyou!

“Oi, the pipsqueak’s done it again!” Tsukishima jogged to him as his derisive laugh filled the air. Hinata knew he should feel annoyed, but all he felt was soothed, as if the laughter and attention was welcoming.

“You alright, Hinata?” Yamaguchi, Tsukishima’s best friend stood beside them. He cast him a worried glance.

“Of course, he’s fine. Only an idiot would constantly leap into the pole like he does.” Tsukishima laughed even as his eyes settled on Hinata’s nose.

“You make it sound like I do it on purpose, _stupidshima_ ,” Hinata grumbled as he stepped back. Turning to face him with a look of feigned annoyance, his breath hitched as he accidentally bumped into Tsukishima’s outstretched arm. He stood way closer than he’d ever stood near him before and it surprised him. Though it also made him experience a weird sort of sensation that was all too common for him. Grabbing the towel that Tsukishima dangled in front of him, he promptly pushed it over his nose, hopefully hiding his growing blush.

“Hm, if you don’t, then why do you do it so often? Is it just to get our attention?” Tsukishima leaned closely as his eyes searched him. The smirk and those eyes, it was like he knew the perfect recipe to send Hinata’s heart racing with love and panic. Hinata pressed the towel even closer to his face as he searched for a way to escape before his blush, his heavy sweating, and his hard breathing gave his feelings for Tsukishima away.

“Now, now Tsukki, Hinata was just out of it,” Yamaguchi said knowingly as if he was trying to get him to lay off.

“Why? I was giving him the attention he craved. Our aspiring _little giant_ does love being the center of attention.” Tsukishima plucked him on the head before he laughed and walked away.

“J-j-jerk,” Hinata spat with no bite. Though he honestly didn’t care if Tsukishima heard him or not, his mind slowly grew occupied with that lingering feeling of Tsukishima’s finger touching his forehead. The warmth flowed from his head to his toes, making them curl with excitement, joy, and need.

“Psst, Hinata, psst.” Yamaguchi waved his hand in his face. It took Hinata a moment to realize his friend was in front of him. “You can’t keep doing this.  You need to tell him how you feel.”  

The thought of telling Tsukishima how his voice excited him, or his touch left him begging in want, or how his gaze left him dazzled, made him shake in fear.

Yamaguchi tried to pull his friend out of the morbid panic he dwelled in. “Get a hold of yourself Hinata. You conquered the Trash Heap, broke through the Great Wall of Datekou, and crushed the Grand King. Telling Tsukki how you feel should be easy.”

“He hates my guts, Yamaguchi. The names, the teases, the annoyances. He thinks I’m a snotty-nosed brat. Why would he ever want my feelings?” Hinata’s eyes watered as he realized how hopeless it was to expect Tsukishima to feel the same way he did. “Why was I born pesky and irritating?”

Yamaguchi giggled as he smiled reassuringly. “Hinata, you’re overreacting. Trust me and talk to Tsukki.”

With Yamaguchi so convinced, Hinata swallowed his fears and trusted him. He was Tsukishima's best after all, so maybe he knew something he didn't. He wiped his eyes with the towel, briefly noticing the lingering _Tsukishima_ smell, that familiar scent of strawberry flavored hand cream and his natural odor that occasionally filled him with a euphoric feeling, as he walked towards him.

His heart sank as he approached him. An overwhelming sense of dread fell on his shoulders, weighed him down, and made him walk slower. It was like something made it so hard to ever get near him and say what he wanted. It was easy to cheer from his side or grumble whenever he teased him. But to hold a conversation or ask a simple question made him queasy with fear. He already used Yamaguchi as a conduit to ask Tsukishima for study help. The one time he tried on his own, he fainted right in front of him.

He thought of turning around and running away but he knew Yamaguchi was behind him smiling with full assurance and offering him a confident thumbs-up that he couldn’t turn down. He envied Yamaguchi. He had no problem standing on the same level with Tsukishima, confidently joking with him, speaking to him, and hanging out with him. He pictured himself in his shoes. Just imagining Tsukishima looking at him softly and warmly as he said his name with gentleness, friendship, and something more, made him feel all warm and bubbly inside. This feeling carried him to stand in front of Tsukishima.

That feeling vanished as nervousness and anxiety flooded his being. It was sad as his entire body worked in concert to make this endeavor a total and glorious failure. He couldn’t even squeeze out any type of sound as his mouth failed him. His lips quivered as if he were trying to cry and scream at the same time but couldn’t. And his mind, one part told him to run while another part told him to stay.

As his mind struggled to decide, he felt Tsukishima’s gorgeous eyes land on him. As he stared down his bottle at him, water dribbled from the corner of his mouth, flowed over his slightly red skin that glistened with the sweat of hard work. It was rare that Hinata could so blatantly and so unashamedly look at him from such close proximity. Too often he was staring from afar and averting his gaze whenever he turned his way. But now, so close, his beautiful features, and that amazing skin, served as a trigger that suddenly sent Hinata’s heart racing.

When Tsukishima finally pulled the bottle away and he licked his moistened lips, his mouth curved into a smile, as if he realized he had Hinata's attention. Hinata gulped as he stared, realizing just how amazingly hot Tsukishima looked doing that. He wanted to see it again, but he also wanted to stay where he was and gaze at him. Tsukishima glowed as if he was some amazingly attractive otherworldly being. And that smile, Hinata struggled to even think straight as feelings of fear now competed with the feelings of his heart.

Tsukishima pressed the base of his water bottle against Hinata’s nose and smirked. “Oi, shortstuff, eyes up here.”

“W-w-what?!” Hinata screeched as he weakly swatted the bottle away. Though all force left him as his hand landed on Tsukishima’s. The feeling was even more incredible than the momentary pluck he felt earlier. It made him pause as what was akin to fire raced from his hand, up his arm, and all throughout his body. He trembled as he felt it all over. Pleasant and warm, he wanted to wrap to himself in it.

“Hinata?” Tsukishima questioned as his smirk morphed into something that was more subdued and kind of indescribable. His voice carried a kind of emotion Hinata never heard from him before. 

Pulling his hand away as he realized it lingered on his for way too long, Hinata frantically panicked as he backed away. “Nothing, I-I-I need to go,” he squeaked out as he raced away. He closely gripped his hand, hoping the feeling wouldn’t dissipate.

His mind was a jumble all morning as that phantom of a feeling of Tsukishima’s hand under his lingered. His fingers that were so much smoother and softer than he ever imagined, and their warmth, it felt incredible. He placed his hand right over his heart as he closed his eyes and imagined holding Tsukishima’s hand. He got lost in the moment as his beating heart raced as if the mere thought of Tsukishima sent it into overdrive. Only Tsukishima could make him feel this way, and he wanted to feel it again and again. He wanted oh how he wanted Tsukishima to know how he always made him feel. As he opened his eyes, he realized that he needed help.

* * *

“Help me, Yamaguchi.” Hinata groaned as he bashed his head on his desk. “These feelings are driving me crazy.”

“It’s that bad huh?” Yamaguchi asked as he sat in the desk across from him. “First time I’ve seen you ignore your lunch.”

“I can’t stop thinking about how much of a failure I am. I touched his hand earlier and instead of saying something about it, I ran away!” He moaned regretfully. "It was the PERFECT CHANCE!"

“Hinata, how about this.” Yamaguchi interrupted his friend’s pity party as he pulled out a pen and scribbled something on a napkin.

Hinata stared at the writing in confusion. “A recipe list?”

“No, no, no. It's a special love potion I found in a book uhm Tsukki loaned me. Make this tonight and wash your hair with it. This will make it so much easier for you to talk to Tsukki.  He’ll be all over you.”

“A spell, you believe that?”

Yamaguchi suddenly stuttered as he averted his gaze. “Y-y-yeah. I mean w-w-what do you have to lose Hinata? Don’t you want to talk to him? And would I lie to you. We’re friends right?” As Hinata eyed him suspiciously, doubtfully even, Yamaguchi slowly pulled the paper back. “I mean, if you don’t want to do it, then I can just throw it away. I’m sure you’ll find a different way to talk to Tsukki on your own. Maybe confess your love for him through the intercom like in that one movie we watched?”

Hinata didn’t even have to spare any second thought to it. Thinking it’d be so embarrassing to do that, he touched the fringes of the napkin, accepting the spell from Yamaguchi. Just as he did, Tsukishima walked up to them and stared at it before staring at Yamaguchi. “Is that what I think it is?”

“No Tsukki,” Yamaguchi sing-songed as he stretched his hand, covering much of the napkin. “Just sharing a secret with Hinata. But what brought you here, were you concerned that he stood you up earlier?”

Tsukishima suddenly huffed as he pushed his glasses up in a way that obscured his slightly reddening cheeks. Turning around he spoke haughtily. “Don’t suggest something idiotic like that as if the idiot in front of you rubbed off on you. Honestly, acting as if I was somehow concerned about him and took time off my lunch break to come here and see how he was. Don’t be ridiculous.”

Yamaguchi grinned as he stood and followed him leaving the spell list behind. “Right Tsukki. Sorry for suggesting something so crazy.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

* * *

The next morning, Hinata stood at the door of the gym. Dressed and ready to go for morning volleyball practice, he wondered if the spell would work. The tomato paste mixed with soy sauce and his strawberry shampoo was a weird combo that made his hair smell weird. Though half of him wondered if Yamaguchi really pranked him and wanted him to be the _center of attention_ for something other than volleyball for once, the other half hoped it were real. The tinniest glimmer of hope that it’d get him closer to Tsukishima convinced him to just go with it even if he knew  _magic wasn't real,_ right?

The moment he stepped foot on the court, Tsukishima was by his side, reaching for his hand, and intertwining their fingers as if they were a loving and doting couple. Hinata screeched in surprise as he nearly jumped out of his skin when it happened. His eyes literally bulged out of his head as they stared at his hand and then at Tsukishima. 

Tsukishima was unfazed by the reaction. He only smiled, no, beamed at him. What used to be eyes that always peered at him with annoyance and irritation, now looked as if they transformed into hearts that exploded with love and affection. Hinata not only had to blink several times to see if this was real but he had to pinch himself. No, he wondered if he needed to jump into the pole just to see if this wasn’t real. Tsukishima staring at him like that, UNREAL!

“Oi, Hinata,” Tsukishima said his name with a voice that sent shivers throughout Hinata’s body. Only in his wildest dreams did he imagine Tsukishima having that effect on him and often it was while he leaned close to him and spoke ever so softly against his ear that he’d shivered as goosebumps broke out across his body. But here, and this loud? Wow.

Tsukishima smirked knowingly, as if he knew exactly what Hinata craved. He leaned forward and cupped his face, caressing his cheek with his thumb rhythmically as he stared at him through half lidded eyes. While the feeling was electrifying and exciting, it was also sensual, making Hinata’s body tremble in Tsukishima’s grasp. Tsukishima grinned mischievously.

His caressing stopped as his eyes turned to Hinata’s lips. Hinata felt his heart stop as he watched Tsukishima’s eyes linger there. All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind as he struggled to take it in. Tsukishima was about to kiss him, and he totally wasn’t ready. This love spell was too intense, too powerful, and too fast. And he didn’t like it. Tsukishima was too bold, too courageous, and totally not himself. Realizing this, something inside him clicked as he thrust both arms out and pushed Tsukishima away.

Tears flooded Hinata’s vision as he stared at Tsukishima. He wept openly as Tsukishima approached him with concern etched on his face. As he reached for Hinata’s hand, Hinata batted it away.

“Hinata?”

“I, this isn’t right Tsukishima. It isn’t. This, our love isn’t real. It’s fake. I like you the way you were. The way you said my name like I was annoying and pesky or the way you looked at me like I was a brat. Because that you, behind it all, I knew you cared. The way you looked at me when you thought I wasn’t looking, like I was all cool and _badass_ was amazing, and the way you cheered for me, even if you thought I didn’t hear you, I did. I loved it. And the way we joke and tease each other, or the way you help me study. I love it. I want that Tsukishima back, not, this _magic Tsukishima_!” Hinata turned around and nearly ran before his hand was clutched by Tsukishima.

As he turned around, Tsukishima pulled him into a hug. He cried against his chest as he still battled feelings of staying or running. Though as he felt Tsukishima’s hand rubbing against his back, he stayed.

“Idiot, if that’s how you felt why didn’t you just say it. How long were you going to make me wait?” Tsukishima whispered in his ear.

“What?”

Tsukishima clicked his tongue. “Do I need to spell it out for you?” When all he received was silence, he explained with a twinge of annoyance on his voice. “I feel the same way about you, Hinata. I like you, I really do, so we should. Look don’t make me actually say it, here. This entire _spell_ business is already embarrassing enough as it is.”

Happy tears flowed from Hinata as he pressed himself closer against Tsukishima’s chest, wrapping his arms around him as he finally returned the hug. Tsukishima ruffled his hair as he rose to his full height.

“See Hinata,” Yamaguchi said as he strolled up beside him with his phone held out. “Told you the  _spell_ would work.”

“Shut up Yamaguchi, he wasn’t even convinced it was real, and without my performance, which you better not have recorded, he wouldn’t have believed it.”

Yamaguchi nervously laughed as he hid his cellphone behind his back. “Sorry, Tsukki.”

**Author's Note:**

> Just another quick fic for my otp. 
> 
> Was written for a forum contest with the prompt "Apprehension" wrd:2500. Added a few more details after getting a bit of feedback.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I flipped a coin on the "magic" thing


End file.
